Regarding "Francis' message" (Page B13, Sunday), thank you for your editorial on Pope Francis' visit to the U.S. I just wish we had someone like Francis running for president, someone who could bridge the great divide between conservatives and liberals in this country. After all, it's not a sin to be a moderate.

I also wish we had someone who truly recognizes that what we have in common is so much greater than that which separates us.

Praying in public, worshiping in the streets, openly preaching the Gospel as the Pope did this weekend is a glorious manifestation that our American religious freedom has not been "taken away from us," as some naysayers would have us believe.

Thank heaven for ministers of peace who boldly address the biblical - not political - teachings of justice, compassion, hope, mercy, reconciliation, charity, unity, love of neighbor and stewardship of the earth our Creator commanded us to "replenish," not extinguish.

It is interesting how perceptions change when the message matches your ideology. When another Catholic came busting on the scene in the late 1950s and his political aspirations became apparent, the fear of an undue influence from the Catholic Church became an issue of voters and fodder for the press.

It became an issue that the Kennedy clan had to deal with and in some ways distance themselves from the Catholic Church.

Now we have another Catholic taking center stage and everyone in the media and most of the liberal politicians are agog at his message of peace, acceptance and ignoring reality: Ignoring the reality that in accepting more immigrants, many are indigent, unemployed or underemployed, and ignoring the huge costs of accepting and caring for these immigrants

The message of Pope Francis is a message of idealism and not of reality. I guess I didn't get the memo of unwavering admiration and complete dereliction of reality that seems to have come to many with this visit.

Since his elevation to the papacy Pope Francis has continued the Catholic church's adamant opposition to the use of condoms by anyone, anywhere, anytime in spite of their proven effectiveness in preventing unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexual diseases.

There can be little argument among rational people that this message condemns millions to misery and is therefore much more than wrong-headed. Oh yeah, I know, just don't have sex: Hormones and demanding partners be damned.